Marshawn Lynch Opens Up About His Oakland Upbringing In New Interview

Back in January during Super Bowl media week, Seattle Seahawks star Marshawn Lynch told a reporter that if he wanted a real interview with him that he should come to the inner city and explore it with him. Well, XXL took heed to that advice and went straight to the heart of North Oakland with Beast Mode and Mistah F.A.B. and they were rewarded with an off the cuff, raw and authentic interview from the elusive running back.

Lynch touches on his foundation, Fam 1st, and how it grew from just a word-of-mouth football camp into a legitimate charitable organization. Once again, he explains his media adverse attitude, explaining that football answers are boring and cliche, but his city and real life are so much more interesting topics which he’d rather discuss that.

“Everybody know what’s gon’ happen. It’s only so many answers I can tell you about a football game. Rather than you coming to an environment that you don’t know what’s going to go on. You know during the football game, you know I’m gon’ get a handoff. You know the quarterback gon’ throw a pass. You know, at a point in time an interception can happen, a fumble can happen. (Fab chimes in: “What you don’t know is that we not gon’ get the ball at the one yard line though.”) Man get up out of here.” (laughs)

We also learn that his real nickname isn’t Beast Mode, but instead those who know him best call him “Shitty.” Yeah, Shitty Shawn. Check out XXL’s interview with Marshawn and Fab – with a special guest appearance from E-40 – below.